Srajan, Joël, I had previously exchanged some emails with Joël regarding audiophile switches. Joël uses a triple threat: an Aqvox SE which feeds an NPS 16 LAN switch from Silent Angel, which features an interesting option that Joël has employed. One may connect two zones in series: the signal from the router goes to Zone 1 and then is sent from it to Zone 2. Thus the LAN signal is clocked twice so that one may reduce jitter in two steps. The source of the clock signal is a reference TCXO clock. I own the Bonn N8, a smaller 8-port switch by Silent Angel that is powered by an external SMPS. The N16 LPS has a built-in linear symmetrical (both transformer and regulators) power supply with two circuits for each zone.
In sum, Joël found the Aqvox SE plus NPS 16 to have a terrific effect (my words) on his system. He previously found the EtherREGEN (referred to subsequently as eR) to be less musical than the single Aqvox SE. I told Joël that I would try swapping the eR and N8 to see which one had the best SQ in my system. Although I do not have the NPS 16 and thus cannot comment on its efficacy, I did try swapping both N8 and eR. Ultimately I found the eR to produce better sound. It's important to note that I use the optional fiber input to the eR and believe that is one reason for its better sound in my system. Of course I have not done any serious testing, unless one counts my aging 70-year-old ears!
About a month ago I read an interesting thread on AudiophileStyle about using an affordable external reference clock with the eR. UpTone, its manufacturer, had conveniently placed a 75Ω (50Ω on request) BNC input to the eR if one wished to bypass its internal XO clock and add a 10MHz reference clock. If one could beat its Crystek CCHD-575 internal clock's -125 at 10Hz phase-noise rating, theoretically one could achieve superior sound. After combing through various threads, I stumbled on UpTone engineer John Swenson's pithy paper about how one might pursue the external clock. Armed with this advice, I found the U.S. distributor website for the Chinese AfterDark OCXO clocks and purchased the Project ClayX Giesemann OCXO 10MHz Reference Emperor Signature clock which promised a phase-noise rating of -138 at 10Hz. Conveniently each OCXO clock comes with its own tested phase reduction document and my unit actually reached -140 at 10Hz. While the U.S. distributor can be rather breathless about the efficacy of these clocks, I did find the Emperor Signature to be extraordinarily good. AfterDark which distributes the eR in Asia and thus has a partnership of sorts with UpTone, says that improvements come in gradual increments with a 30-day final improvement which I have since passed. In short, I have an Ethernet output to the Lumin T2 on the "B" side of the eR, which is moat-protected from noise within the eR,so that the Lumin's dual Sabre DACs receive exquisitely timed audio signals.
In sum, I feel as if I have upgraded my entire streaming platform with the addition of the 10MHz reference clock. My system is totally streaming with a Roon Nucleus, Lumin T2 and the Kinki Studio EX-M7 tethered by Grimm SQM balanced cables. Srajan, I know that you have been reporting on the salutary effects of reclocking in recent reviews. I doubt that AfterDark will request a review of its OCXO clocks but, trust me, this is a game-changer for me and others. My next step once funds are sufficient is to consider an upgraded streamer in the guise of the upcoming Grimm MU2 or Joël's current favorite, the Vermeer Audio Three. All the best, Michael Fanning
